Paper-drying machinery.



Gril-PRESTON, l. G.PALMER &'0. S: WINESBURG`I P-APER DRYIN'G MACHINERY.

APPLICATION min JULY 24. |916.

Patented Feb. 20,1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

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PAPER DRYING MACHINERY. APPLlcAfloN FILED luLY 24. 1916.

1,216,359. Patented Feb; 20,1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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GfE. PHESTONU/L G. PALMER & 0. S. WINESBURG.

PAPERDRYING MACHINERY.

AVPPLlCATION FILED IULY 24. |916.

Patented Feb. 20, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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INDIANA. Y f

Specification of Letters Patent. jlgyngd Fqgb.- 2Q, p91*?" Application filed July 24, 1916. Serial No. 110,852.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that we, GEORGE E. PRESTON, lnviiv G. PALMER, and OSCAR S. WINESBURG, citizens of the United States, residing at Elkhart, county of Elkhart, and State of lndiana, have invented new and useful Improvements in Paper-Drying Machinery, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to paper drying machinery,'niore especially to coated paper dry'- ing machinery, and specifically to mechanism located within the drying room to shift the position of the paper loops on the loop carriers traveling through the drying room.

The main objects of our invention are as follows: lirst, the provision of mechanism, in combination with the usual or any form of drying racks or mechanism, to shift'the looped, or festooned, coated paper while it is traveling throughthe drying room, for the purpose of preventing checks, or cracks, at the point where the loop bends around the carrying stick, and, second, the provision of mechanism of the character described to shift the position of the looped coated paper while traversing the drying room to produce uniform drying of the paper. Other objects of our invention will be mentioned and described herein some of which are necessarily collateral to the main objects, but nevertheless of vital importance. l

ln drying paper coated with chemical compositions of various kinds to produce any desired quality of exterior finish, it is new common practice to form the freshly coated paper in loops carried on cross sticks, or carriers, supported by an endless traveling chain system which traverses the drying room supplied with heat at a high temperature. lt is also common practice for a person, or operator, to enter the drying room at regular intervals, while the coated paper is traversing the same, to manually shift the position of the paper on the carrying sticks toprevent the checking or cracking thereof at the point where itv bends around the carrier, and also, to bring a remote portion of the paper into closer proximity' with the heating element, which is always located beneath the traveling paper loops, to bring about uniformity of drying of the paper.

injury to the health of the operator, because of the high degree of heat in the drying room combinedwith the impure air, and irregular shifting of the paper on the carrier sticks.-

. Our invention dispenses with the services of an operator for paper shifting purposes and produces a loop, after the mechanism shifts the paper within the drying room, which is of uniform length and supported by the carrier sticks which are evenly spaced onthe carrier chains. The invention concerns only the paper shifting mechanism of paper drying machinery and is located intermediate the extremities of anyI usual, or possible, paper loop forming and carrying mechanism, and any practical loop forming device, or mechanism, of which there are a number novv in use,.may be adopted in combination with our invention.

On the drawings, which shovv the preferred embodiment of our invention, Figure 1 is a plan view ofthe mechanism showing the vlooped paper entering, passing through and departing fromV the shifting machine; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the mechanism showny in Fig. l; Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the primary driving mechanism; Fig. el. is an elevation development of the intermediate driving shafts and mechanism and the paper draft roll, or drum; Fig.

'5 is a plan view development of a portion of v the mechanism shown in Fig. l; Fig. 6 is an 4end elevation of the final driving mechanism; Fig. 7 is a view showing a fragment of the stick retarding device, the carrying chain and lug, and the loop carrier; and Fig. 8 is a view showing a fragment of the secondary carrier stick retarder, or stop member.

Similar numerals of reference vdesignate similar n members and parts ofmembers throughout the several views on the drawings.

Referringto the drawings in detail, the' numeral l indicates a transverse overhead shaft,j 'of the Vprimary driving mechanism, suitably journaled atv 2, 2, and upon which is rigidly mounted a sprocket wheel 3 to which power from any suitable source is transmitted through a sprocket chain 4, for rotating said shaft l and therebyI operating the mechanism of the intermediate and final drive mechanism which are connected therewith, as hereinafter described. The numerals 5, 5 indicate tWo spur pinions rigidly,

Y mounted upon shaft 1 and meshing With the spur Wheels 8, 8 rigidly mounted Yupon the Y short shafts 6,6 which are suitably journaled-,as at 7, 7, below the shaft 1. Upon each short shaft 6 asprocket Wheel 9 is rigidly mounted which is engaged by the vendless chain 11, of which there are tivo in ycent sprockets -9 and adapted-to engage'and carry theV rack chain 30 of `the first'sec'tion of the shifting machine, more particularly described hereinafter. v

The numeral 12 indicates a sprocket Wheel rigidly mounted upon the drive -shaft 1, enc gaged kby the `endless chain 13 for transmitting power to the sprocket Wheel 14 rigidly mounted upon the shaft` k15 of the intermefdiate driving mechanism.

Y yThe numeral16 indicates aV spur Wheel rigidly mounted upon shaft 15 and meshingfwith the spur WheelV 17 having an equal number of teeth and rigidly mountedupon Y 'a AShaft gis.

gaged by theendless chains 25,625.

kThe shaft 18 Valso car-ries .a .rigidly mounted s procketvvheel 19 which is engagedrby the chain 20,0peratively con- -nected `at itsl opposite end With Ythe sprocket Wheel 21 rigidly mounted upon the overhead intermediate drive sha-ft 22 for driving the latter. The shaft 22 is suitably journaledV at 23, 2,3 'and arranged transversely Yof. thev travel of the paper, as hereinafter'described, and carries tivo rigidly mounted and substantially spaced sprocket Wheels 24, 24 adapted to be neneath the shaft '22 are journaled tivo short shafts .27, 27, vaxially disposed and spaced substantially fn'oi'n each other.V Each shaft 27 carries a rigidly mounted sprocket Wheel',

26 whichV is engaged. by the lower end of the chain 25 for driving purposes, and each of said shafts carries also rigidly mounted sprocket Wheels -28 uand 29 located adjacent each other. Each -of the sprockets 28 is engaged by an endless chain 30 which is driven "l by said' sprocket 28 andV connected at its other -fendivith the idlersprocket 10 carried bythe shaft 6, as herei-nbefore specified.

The overhead shaft 22 carries alsol a sprocket Wheel 31 engaged by an endless sprocket chain 32-connected at its'loWer end with a sprocket `Wheel 33 rigidly mounted nupon a shaft' 34, suitably jou-rnaled, and

upon which 'is rigidly mounted a roll, or drum, 35, the sha-ft 34 beingarranged lsomeyWhat forward Aof the shafts 27, 27.

The primary drive shaft lcarries also a sprocketY wheel 36 rigidly mounted thereon which is engaged by an endless chain 37, the latter being connected at its opposite end with sprocket Wheel 88 rigidly mounted upon the final, or forward, drive shaft 39 which is suitably journaled. A pair of Vspaced 'spur pinions 40, 40 are rigidly mounted upon the shaft 39 each of Which meshes with a spur Wheel 41 rigidly mounted upon a short shaft 42, of which there aie two suitably journaled beneath. the shaft 39and in axial alinement With each other. Each shaft 42 carries an idler sprocket 43 and a rigidly mounted sprocket 44 in close proximity, each of the sprockets 43 being engaged by an endless chain which is connected at itsopposite end with the sprocket vWheel 29 rigidly mounted upon the shaft 27, :said sprocket 29 being the driving member Afor said chain 45, as heretofore mentioned.

The. endless chain 30 is provided with a tigh-tener member 46, suitably mounted, and the chain 45 is provided with the tightener 47,1suitably mounted.

The numeral 48 indicates the stub end of .a pair of endless sprocket chains engaging Vthe sprocket Wheels 44, 44 mounted upon the shafts 42, 42 and by which said chains are driven. The numerals 49, 49 indicate a plurality of. carriers, or paper loop carriers, arranged transversely of the various traveling chains 11, 30, 45 and 48, and are adapted to carry the loops of the paper 62. On 'chains 11, 11 the carriers 49 are spaced at suitable intervals byA lugs (not shown) at the timeof the formation of the loops there- `von, the interval being usually deter-inined by the Weight or thickness and quality of the .paper to be handled thereby.`

The numerals 50, 50 indicate a pair of parallel chain racks for the support of the chains 30, 30, and the numerals 51, 51 indicate la pair of parallel chain racks for the support ofthe chains 45, 45. rI`he numerals 52, 52 indicate a pairof parallel stop members, or loop carrier retarders rigidly mounted adjacent the end of the racks 51, each stop member 52 having a sloping, or inc'linjed., surface at `one end thereof, as indivcated' by the numeral The numerals 54, 54 indicate a plurality of lugs rigidly vfastened to each chain 45 and in enact opposite disposition for simultaneous engagement with the opposite ends of an individual loop carrier 49. And the numerals 55, 55 lindicate a plurality of lugs rigidly fastened to each chain 30 and in exact opposite disposition for simultaneous engagement with the' opposite ends of an individual loop carrier 49. rThe numeral 56 indicates a pair of parallel rigid supports each of which is adapted to carry a retarder bai 57 over the rack member 50 and sl-iglitly spaced therefrom, `the 'bar 57 being supported at its forivard end by a swinging link 58 and adjacent its other end by a rigid link 59, the latter being-slotted at 59 to permit of the Avertical action ofthe supporting bolt 60 fivhichis rigidly fastened to the bai 57, projecting therefrom into the slot 59, and with some play therein. One end of the lower face of each stop bar 57 is somewhat inclined as indicated by the numeral 61 and is adapted to be engaged by a carrier stick 49 when the latter is carried by the chain 30 thereto, and is adapted also to retard the travel of said carrier stick 49 until one pair of the lugs 55 engage the carrier stick ends and draw the latter forward toward chains 45. The numerals 62, 62 indicate the paper loops and the paper to be formed into loops by the shifter mechanism, as hereinafter described.

Timing of the mcLam'sm.-The drive shaft 1 is rotated at a predetermined speed, the sprockets 3, 12 and 36 thereon each having 24 teeth. The pinions 5 have 18 teeth and the spur wheels 8 driven thereby have sixty teeth. The idler sprockets v10 each have twenty teeth and the sprockets 9 have twenty three teeth. The sprocket 14 on shaft 15 has twenty teeth, and gears 16 and 17 have an equal number of teeth, the shafts 15 and 18 rotating at equal velocity. rIhe sprocket 19 has thirty teeth as against fifteen teeth in the sprocket 21 on shaft 22. Each sprocket 24 has twenty four teeth and each sprocket 26 has twenty four teeth. Each sprocket 28 and 29 is supplied with twenty three teeth. The sprocket 31 on the shaft 22 is supplied with thirty teeth, and the sprocket 33 on the paper draft roll shaft 34 and driven thereby has twenty teeth. The sprocket 38 on the shaft 39, driven by sprocket 36 on shaft 1, is supplied with twenty four teeth, and the spur pinions 40, 40, on shafts 39, each have eighteen teeth and mesh with the sixty tooth spur wheels 41, 41 on shafts 42, 42, driven thereby.

The idler sprockets 43, 43, on the shafts 42, 42, each have twenty three teeth, and the driven sprockets 44, 44 each have twenty four teeth. It is therefore apparent that the chains and 45 have a velocity eight times as great as the chains 11, the latter having a speed substantially equal to the velocity of the chains 48, 48. It is also apparent that the paper draft roll, or drum, shaft 34 rotates at a velocity substantially greater than the shafts 27, 27, the latter carrying the sprockets 28 and 29 which drive the chains 30 and 45. For various weights of paper handled by the machine herein described the centers of the carrier sticks, when spaced upon the carrying chains, may be varied, and usually are, but the timing of the shifting mechanism and the gearing thereof remain substantially the same as shown and described herein.

Operation-Assuming that loops of paper have been formed on the carriers 49 carried on the chains 11, and assuming also that the paper 62 is suspended from the roll 35 and stretches therefrom forward to carriers 49 which may be supported upon the chains 48, the operation of our loop shifting machine is substantially as follows.

A carrier 49, supporting a loop of paper thereon, is discharged by the chains 11 upon the rack chains 30 which, having a much higher velocity than chains 11, rapidly carry the stick 49 forward until contact is made by the carrier stick 49 with the inclined stop surface 61 of the retarder bar 57 by which it is held stationary until a pair of lugs 55 engage the opposite ends of the carrier stick 49, draw it forward beneath the upwardly movable bar 57, which exerts considerable friction thereon during this movement, beyond the forward end of said bar 57 where it is discharged upon the head of the chains and carried forward thereby until retarded by the stop members 52. In the meantime the paper draft roll 35 has drawn the paper 62 forward ahead thereof where it sags downward intermediate roll 35 and the shafts 42 and in front of the carrier retarded by the stop members 52. By this time another carrier 49 is now positioned by the retarder members, or bars, 57 ready to be drawn forward by the lugs 55. As soon as the carrier passes from beneath the bars 57 they drop into position again for retarding another carrier stick 49.

On account of the excess velocity of the roll 35 over the chains 30 the paper is drawn forward thereby more rapidly than the speed it attains on the chains 30 by virtue of the engagement of the lugs with the carrier 49. In other words, the paper is not only carried forward by the moving carrier 49 but also is drawn forward by the roll 35 around and over the carrier 49 while the latter is being actuated by the lugs 55. With the paper thus heavily sagging from the roll 35 and in front of the carrier 49 retarded by the stops 52, a pair of lugs 54 engage a carrier 49 and carry it rapidly forward against the sagging paper pushing the latter ahead until the carrier .49 is discharged upon the head of the chains 48, thereby forming a new paper loop which thereafter is carried by the chains 48 through the drying room in the conventional manner. The paper loops thus formed by the action of the lugs 54 on the carriers 49, last described, bend around and over the 'carrier 49 at a point in the paper which is substantially in the rear of the original point of contact therewith, thereby placing the original point of contact intermediate the top and bottom of the newly formed loop and closer to the heating or drying element which is always placed below the moving paper loops. Then the loop'carrier 49 is being borne forward by lugs 55 the retarder bar 57 bears upon each end of the carrier stick acting thereon as a brake, thereby overcoming the tendency of the carrier 49 to be drawn away from the lugsv 55 by the draft of the paper 62 exerted by the roll 35. In the use of heavy weights of paper this tendency ofv the carrier 49 to be drawn forward and away from the lugs 55 by the action of the. draft roll 35. would be very pronounced if the retarder bars 57 were omitted from the machine, or should fail to operate, and the effect would be to throw the machine out of time by depositing the carrier 49 on the chains 45, prematurely. The draft of the roll 35 on the paper being regular at all times, it is apparent that the paper is being drawnforward over the carrierv 49 at allpoints of its position upon the chains 30. VFor convenience, the chains 30 and 45 are designated as the primary and secondary rack chains, respectively, and the carriers 49 may be designated as laths.

We claim l. In a paper drying-machine, a devicefor mechanically shifting the paper comprising, primary and secondary conveyers in coperative relation; a lath supported by said; primary conveyer and adapted to be moved thereby and deposited upon said secondary conveyer; paper carried by said lath and extending in advance thereof; means for drawing the paper'forward and causing it to sag downward in advance of the point where said lath is delivered upon said secondary conveyer; and meanscarried by said secondary conveyer actuating said lath and moving it against the sagging paper and carrying it'forward therewith.

2. Ina paper drying machine, a device for mechanically shifting the paper comprising, primary and secondary conveyers in coperative relation; a lath supported by said primary conveyer and adapted` to be intermittently moved Vthereby and deposited upon said secondary conveyer; paper carried by said lath and extending in advance thereof; means for drawing the paper forward and causing it to sag downward in advance of the point where said lath is delivered upon said Vsecondary conveyer; and means carried by said secondary conveyer actuating said lath and moving it againstthe sagging paper and carrying itrforward in loop formation. Y

3. In a paper drying machine, a device for mechanically shifting the paperl comprising,Y

primary and secondary conveyers in coperative relation; a lath supported by said primary conveyer and adapted to be moved thereby and deposited'upon said secondary conveyer; paper carried by said lath and eX- tending in advance thereof; means for drawing the paper forward at a velocity greater than the speed of the lath when the latter is being actuated within the primary 'conveyer limits and causing it to sag downward in advance of the point where said lath is delivered. upon said'secondary conveyer; and

meansV actuating said lath on said secondary conveyer and moving it against the sagging paper and carrying it forward therewith in loop formation.

4. In a paper drying machine, a device for mechanically shifting the paper comprising primary and secondary conveyors in coperative relation; a lath supported by said primary conveyer and adapted to be moved thereby, and delivered upon said secondary conveyer; paper carried by said lath and connected` with paper draft means whereby said paper is drawn forward and caused to sag downward in ladvance of the point where said lath is delivered upon said secondary conveyer; means for temporarily retarding the movement of said lath upon said secondary conveyer after delivery thereon; and means actuating said lath on said secondary conveyer and moving it against the sagging paper and carrying it forward in loop foi mation. l

5. In a paper drying machine, a device for mechanically shifting the paper comprising, primary and secondary conveyors in coperative relation; a lath supported by said primary conveyer and adapted to be intermittently moved thereby and delivered upon said secondary conveyer; paper carried by saidlath and connected with paper draft means whereby said paper is drawn forward and caused to sag downward in advance of the point where said lath is delivered upon said secondary conveyer; means for temporarily retarding the movement of said lath upon said secondary` conveyer after delivery thereon; and means actuating said lath on said secondary conveyer and moving it against the sagging paper and carrying it forward 1n loop formation.

6. In a paper drying machine, a device for mechanically shifting the paper comprising, primary and secondary conveyors in coperative relation; a lath supported by said primary conveyer and adapted to be moved thereby and delivered upon said sccondary conveyer; paper carried by said lath and extending in advance thereof; means for drawing the paper forward at a velocity greater than the speed of the lath, when the latter is being actuated within the primary conveyer limits, and causing said paper to sag downward in advance of the point where said lath is delivered upon said secondary conveyer; and means actuating said lath on said secondary conveyer and moving it against the sagging paper and carrying it forward therewith in loop formation.

7. In a device of the class described, the combination of a pair of endless moving conveyer chains each of which is provided with a plurality of lugs adapted to operate in pairs; a pair of yieldable retarder bars arranged above said chains each bar having a sloping end edge; a pair of chain racks beneath said chains; and a lath adapted to be delivered upon one end of said chains and carried thereby to and retarded by the sloping edge of said retarder bars, and thereafter adapted to be engaged by a pair of said chain lugs and moved forward thereby beneath said retarder bars, which are thereby lifted and which bear upon said lath during its forward movement.

8. In a device of the class described, the combination of a pair of endless moving conveyer chains each of which is provided with a plurality of lugs adapted to operate in pairs; a pair of chain racks beneath said chains; a pair of stop members mounted adjacent one end of said chains; a lath adapted to be delivered upon one end of said chains and carried thereby to and retarded by said stop members, and thereafter adapted to be engaged by a pair of said chain lugs and moved forward thereby over said stop members.

9. Ina device of the class described, the combination of a pair of endless moving conveyer chains each of which is provided with a plurality of lugs adapted to operate in pairs; a pair of chain racks beneath said chains; a pair of stop members mounted adjacent one end of said chains, said stops having upwardly sloping ends ;A a lath adapted to be delivered upon one end of said chains and carried thereby to and retarded by the sloping end of said stop members, and adapted thereafter to be engaged by a pair of said chain lugs and moved forward thereby over said stop members.

l0. In a device of the class described, primary and secondary conveyers in coperative relation; a lath adapted for delivery upon said primary conveyer and adapted to be moved thereby and deposited upon said secondary conveyer; a paper draft roll rotatively mounted above said conveyers; a paper web carried by said lath, connected with said draft roll and adapted to be drawn forward thereby at a velocity greater than the speed of the lath when the latter is being actuated within the primary conveyer limits, and causing said paper to sag downward in advance of the point where said lath is delivered upon said secondary conveyer; and means actuating said lath on said secondary conveyer and, moving it against the sagging paper and carrying the paper forward therewith in loop formation.

11. In a device of the class described, primary and secondary conveyers in coperative relation; a lath adapted for delivery upon said primary conveyer and adapted to he moved thereby and deposited upon said secondary conveyer; a paper draft roll rotatively mounted transversely of said conveyers and in a plane abo-ve them; a paper web carried by said lath, connected with said draft roll and adapted to be drawn forward thereby at a velocity greater than the speed of the lath when the latter is being actuated within the primary conveyer limits, and causing said paper to sag downward in advance of the point where said lath is delivered upon said secondary conveyer; and means actuating said lath on said secondary conveyer and moving it against the sagging paper and carrying the paper forward therewith in loop formation, said means comprising lugs rigidly mounted upon said chains.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto affixed our signatures at Elkhart, Indiana, this 18th day of July, 1916.

GEORG-E E. PRESTON. IRVIN G. PALMER. OSCAR S. WINESBURG.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

